00:01The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has dismissed an application by former senior political
00:06secretary to the Prime Minister, Datuk Shri Shamsul Iskandar Mohammed Akin, to transfer
00:12five corruption charges in his graft case from the Sessions Court to the High Court.
00:17Justice Noor Ruwina Madnurdin rejected the bid on Tuesday, ruling that the applicant
00:23had failed to meet the requirements under Section 417 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
00:28Shamsul Iskandar had filed the application on February 4, arguing that the case raised
00:35exceptional legal questions, including constitutional issues involving provisions under the Malaysian
00:41Anti-Corruption Commission, M.A.C.C. Act 2009, which he said should be determined by the High
00:48Court and potentially referred to the federal court.
00:51He also contended that the transfer would not prejudice any party and would help ensure
00:57proper determination of the legal issues raised.
01:00Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yousop Khan appeared for the prosecution, while counsel
01:07Datuk Amir Hamza Arshad represented Shamsul Iskandar.
01:11Shamsul Iskandar was first charged on December 4 last year at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court,
01:17with allegedly agreeing to accept a RM100,000 cash bribe from businessman Albert Teijan Ching, 37, in return
01:27for assisting companies linked to Tei in securing mineral exploration license approvals in Sabah,
01:33despite the matter being unrelated to his official duties.
01:36He was also charged with receiving from Tei an additional RM40,000 in cash for the same purpose,
01:43along with two counts of accepting bribes in the form of furniture and electrical items
01:49valued at close to RM15,000 and more than RM22,000, respectively.
01:55The alleged offences took place at various locations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya
02:00between November 2023 and March 2024.
02:05On December 5 last year, Shamsul Iskandar was further charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court,
02:12with another count of allegedly receiving close to RM63,000 in bribes from Tei
02:18at a bank in Country Heights, Kajang, between November 2023 and September 2024.
02:25The sum was allegedly channeled into a woman's bank account to pay rent for a Kuala Lumpur residence,
02:31and was linked to assistance in securing mineral exploration approvals in Sabah.
02:37All charges were framed under Section 17, Subsection A of the M.A.C.C. Act 2009,
02:44punishable under Section 24, Subsection 1, which carries a maximum 20-year jail term
02:50and a fine of at least five times the value of the bribe or RM10,000,
02:55whichever is higher, upon conviction.
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